"Pain, pride, and desire collided in a single heartbeat."
The sting in my ribs was sharp, radiating outward with each breath. But pain was just information, and right now it was telling me to move.
Gideon thought he had me cornered. His eyes gleamed with premature victory as he closed in for what he clearly believed would be the killing blow. He underestimated how far I'd come.
My wolf surged forward, demanding release. The urge to let her take over was almost overwhelming. But I held the line. This wasn't about raw power. If I lost myself here, I'd give him exactly what he wanted-proof that I was nothing more than instinct and rage.
I twisted at the last second. His follow-up strike grazed my shoulder instead of landing clean. The force of his momentum carried him past me, and I used
